Benedict Cumberbatch Is Everyone’s Favorite European on the TIME 100

The English actor's fans were full of support for the honoree, who was amongst high-profile Europeans such as Angela Merkel and Andy Haldane on the list

Reactions to Benedict Cumberbatch making 2014’s TIME 100 list were unambiguous: people are thrilled. There was almost unanimous agreement — particularly among Cumberbatch’s famed fanbase, who proudly call themselves “Cumberbitches” — that the English actor’s place on the list was thoroughly deserved.

Once the list was revealed Thursday, fans swiftly expressed excitement and support not only for Cumberbatch, but also for actor Colin Firth, who penned the tribute. Firth’s claim that Cumberbatch, famous for his roles in Sherlock, Star Trek: Into Darkness and 12 Years a Slave, was so talented that he “must be stopped” was greeted with mirth:

Alternately, reactions to German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s inclusion were muted, judging by Twitter. Though German football player Jürgen Klinsmann wrote that Merkel was “firm, measured and agreeable” and that her leadership saw Germany through both the 2006 World Cup and the European financial crisis, few social media users appeared to share his enthusiasm.

Yet another European garnered some high-profile support for his inclusion on the list: Andy Haldane, the Executive Director of Financial Stability at the Bank of England, was praised by his fellow nominee Anat Admati who enthusiastically tweeted: